The Problem is Still There: We Need to Keep Pushing for Incident Scene Safety
It's been a couple of years now since Esko Fire Captain Kim Granholm lost his life while at a car fire on I-35. For his family, the sorrow is still there. For his fellow firefighters, there are still the nightmares of that dreadful day.
Shortly after Kim's death, there were calls for changing the laws regarding the penalties for those who endanger emergency personnel on our roads and highways. There were also calls for tougher enforcement, more awareness, more education for drivers. Esko Fire Chief Jeff Juntunen and Kim's widow, Aliina, made it a personal crusade, a very noble one at that.
Today, however, you don't hear state lawmakers talking about the issue. They're concerned with the state budget, program funding, economic development, road and bridge construction, etc. If safety for emergency responders is on their list, it's been downplayed to a "dull roar". In the recent election season, you didn't hear much. Folks like Jeff and Aliina will be back at it come the start of the legislative session. Others will join the fight and the issue will likely roar to life, only to quiet down when the session is over and the lawmakers are back home. But, the "roaring" has to start now and continue and continue until something is done!
Drivers still aren't slowing down at emergency scenes. This summer, members of the Virginia Fire Department and Ambulance Service put themselves at risk when there was an accident on a rain slick bridge on Highway 53. Greenwood Township personnel were confronted with an out of control driver on an accident call on County Highway 77. Unfortunately, the list goes on and on.
The push for improved driver education, incident scene traffic enforcement and stiffer penalties is still paramount. We must never give up this fight. We must continue to put the pressure on our lawmakers to improve the laws we now have in place and to introduce new legislation if needed. Otherwise, a tragedy like the one, which took the life of Kim Granholm, will claim another dedicated emergency responder.